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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — the fish
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. shower — to wash
  11. suit — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. shower — rain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. swing — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com